तेनैकं विद्महे रुद्रं नान्यमीशं कथंचन । तस्माद्ब्रूहि महाभाग सर्वानेतान्सुविस्तरात्
tenaikaṃ vidmahe rudraṃ nānyamīśaṃ kathaṃcana | tasmādbrūhi mahābhāga sarvānetānsuvistarāt
“Por isso reconhecemos Rudra como o Único, e de modo algum outro Senhor. Portanto, ó mui afortunado, conta-nos tudo isto com ampla e clara minúcia.”
Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)
Listener: Sūta (addressed as mahābhāga)
Scene: Sages with earnest faces, one spokesperson addressing the narrator with folded hands, requesting a full explanation; atmosphere of disciplined inquiry.
True understanding begins with recognizing the supreme Lordship of Rudra and then seeking the detailed account of his manifestations and sacred deeds.
The request leads into the Hāṭakeśvara account associated with the sacred sphere of Vārāṇasī/Kāśī in this chapter.
None is stated; the verse is an invitation to an expanded kathā (sacred narration).